Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $962 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,460 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,959 in Onesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Onesti is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.83 RON 30.90

133.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$37.03 RON 167

71.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$6.52 RON 29.48

59.20%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.87 RON 8.44

49.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.07 RON 9.36

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.66 RON 7.49

-5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.05 RON 9.29

67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.05 RON 13.78

28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.16 RON 5.27

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.13 RON 5.12

56.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.97 RON 8.92

-13.20%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.88 RON 13.04

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.21 RON 37.16

66.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.01 RON 31.71

14.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.16 RON 50.5

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$0.89 RON 4.04

157.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.51 RON 6.83

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.52 RON 6.86

27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.95 RON 8.83

28.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.82 RON 3.69

118.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.05 RON 4.76

91.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.04 RON 4.72

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 RON 2.91

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$5.50 RON 24.89

23.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.61 RON 25.37

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.95 RON 4.28

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.46 RON 6.62

106.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.67 RON 3.04

238.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$19.77 RON 89.4

129.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.17 RON 5.29

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.66 RON 2.97

28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.09 RON 32.09

157.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.60 RON 7.24

24.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K €30.2K

$27.7K RON 125.2K

26.61%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.5K €34.1K

$25.3K RON 114.5K

56.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 €126

$163 RON 736

-10.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.45 €17.62

$7.88 RON 35.66

159.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.38 RON 42.43

315.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$41.94 RON 190

16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.17 RON 86.7

-1.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.81 RON 30.81

39.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$608 €524

$311 RON 1,407

95.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$9,660 RON 43.7K

70.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$37.17 RON 168

179.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$29.97 RON 136

40.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$75.1 RON 340

22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$74.0 RON 335

62.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$393 RON 1,776

313.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$294 RON 1,329

331.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$579 RON 2,620

426.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$442 RON 2,002

353.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,920 RON 8,685

299.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,370 RON 6,197

216.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$651 RON 2,945

143.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.11

-46.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Onesti: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $393 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $200 per month, with Onesti cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Onesti differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $962 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 143% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $393 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $311 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $962 in Onesti versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Onesti are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.